Maharashtra: No privatisation of Haffkine Institute; massive tech upgrade for ESI hospitals
Mumbai, July 3
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Minister, Narhari Zirwal, on Friday in the state Assembly ruled out any plans to privatise the historic Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation and assured a comprehensive government-backed revival plan.
Minister Zirwal gave his assurance in his response to a question raised by Congress MLA Jyoti Gaikwad.
Senior legislators including Dilip Walse Patil, Vijay Wadettiwar, Atul Bhatkhalkar, and Yogesh Sagar joined the discussion, raising concerns over the institute's current stagnation.
Minister Zirwal said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will soon chair a meeting with all key stakeholders to clear immediate development bottlenecks.
A full-time IAS officer will be appointed as the Managing Director to streamline administration.
He further stated that the comprehensive restructuring report submitted by the high-powered Dr R.A. Mashelkar Committee will be officially tabled before the House. A detailed funding proposal worth Rs 150 crore - previously sent to the Finance Department - is being resubmitted after rectifying administrative technicalities.
Ruling and Opposition parties in their submission said that despite its illustrious 100-plus-year history as a premier vaccine manufacturer, Haffkine completely halted its production of the DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus) vaccine in 2007 due to the lack of modernised manufacturing facilities.
To overcome this, the Mashelkar Committee has recommended a Rs 1,100-crore master plan to set up state-of-the-art infrastructure for five critical projects: Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Pentavalent vaccine, tissue-culture anti-rabies vaccine, modernisation of the Pimpri anti-venom/serum facility, and bio-engineered blood clotting factors.
The committee recommended that the State contribute Rs 100 crore as equity, with the Central Government providing the rest. From this plan, Haffkine has currently sought a fast-tracked allocation of Rs 50 crore for the polio vaccine plant and Rs 100 crore for the Pimpri serum unit's modernisation, said the department.
Further, Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar in the state Legislative Council announced that the state is actively leveraging advanced medical technologies to make healthcare services faster, accessible, and high-quality across all Employees' State Insurance (ESI) hospitals.
He replied to a question raised by MLC Manisha Kayande, alongside sub-questions from Bhai Jagtap, Prasad Lad, and Rajiv Potdar.
Minister Abitkar emphasised that labourers covered under the ESI scheme receive completely free medical treatment and urged public representatives to create wider awareness about these benefits.
Addressing medical procurement transparency, the Minister stated that procurement guidelines will strictly prioritise quality, and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) will be actively involved where necessary.
Meanwhile, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif informed the Legislative Council that the final decision regarding the permanent campus location of the Amravati Government Medical College hinges on environmental clearances from the Central Government.
Responding to a question brought forward by NCP MLA Sanjay Khodke and supported by Bachchu Kadu and Aniket Tatkare, Minister Mushrif clarified that while the state had selected and taken possession of a land parcel in Aliyabad, subsequent surveys revealed the site falls inside a protected forest zone.
The state cannot change the site location or look for remote alternatives, as National Medical Commission mandates that every government medical college must be linked to a minimum 500-bed hospital.
Since the state is committed to launching a medical college in every district, this premier institution will strictly remain within or in the immediate periphery of Amravati city, said the minister.
Minister Mushrif assured the House that administrative procedures were being expedited to clear the forest department hurdles, and local leadership meetings will be organised soon to temporarily address faculty and contractual staff requirements.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting to see the government's commitment to public healthcare. The ESI hospital tech upgrades are much needed - workers deserve quality treatment. But I'm concerned about transparency in medical procurement. The minister said quality will be prioritised, but we need strict monitoring to ensure PSU involvement doesn't lead to inefficiency. Hope this isn't just election talk.
Great to see bipartisan support for Haffkine's revival! The DPT vaccine shutdown in 2007 was a tragedy - we should never have lost such a facility. But I'm sceptical about appointing a full-time IAS officer as MD. Bureaucrats are good at administration but we need someone with pharma expertise at the helm. The polio and anti-rabies vaccines are critical for public health. Jai Hind!
The Amravati medical college issue is a classic example of poor planning. How did they not know the selected land was in a forest zone? Now they have to waste time on environmental clearances. But kudos to the state for committing to launch a medical college in every district. We need more doctors in rural areas! Hope the faculty issues are sorted soon. 🇮🇳
While I appreciate the no-privatisation stance, let's be honest - Haffkine has been a sleeping giant for decades. The Mashelkar committee's Rs 1,100 crore plan is ambitious, but do we have the technical manpower to execute such a massive upgrade? The Chinese and Western companies have moved miles ahead in vaccine tech. India needs to think beyond just infrastructure - invest in R&D and global partnerships too.
R Rahul R